


Waiting To Be Stolen

by wingedlioness



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-04-06 06:54:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14051412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingedlioness/pseuds/wingedlioness
Summary: "The eye is the jewel of the body." - Henry David ThoreauAnd Killian Jones and Emma Swan are nothing if not pirates. A soulmate canon divergence au.





	1. Prologue: 30ish years ago

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt: AU where soulmates can read one another’s thoughts, but only by making direct eye contact. This can result in awkward, fluffy, steamy, or angsty situations. (Bonus: Those who are blind can hear their soulmate’s thoughts regardless, just depending on their proximity.)

_ Thirty odd years ago... _

Captain Hook thought he heard a whisper in his ear. Which was preposterous, given the noise in the tavern. Whatever magic or nonsense it was could wait. He had drink, gambling, and women to enjoy. 

“Wahoo!” Hook threw an arm up as the dice fell, relishing the feel of the wenches on either side tightening their grip on his waist and legs. 

He found himself getting louder; the susurration would not stop. The rum did little to drown it out but it was making him care less, so he probably just needed more. He was about to signal for a third bottle when a pair of breasts sashayed over. 

Swaying hips, trim waist, corset slightly unlaced, golden hair cascading down, and... Killian got lost in her green eyes. 

_ [This is gonna be fun. And how adorable was that, being jealous of himself?”] _

“If you’re willing to put ‘him’ out of mind and focus on the here and now, lass,” Hook responded, ”I can guarantee fun.”

_ [Oh, right, shit-] _

_ {What-} _

All of a sudden, he found himself in throes of passion with the woman. Physically he was firmly aware of the table between them, the rough wood he was sitting on. His entire mind was flooded with images though, his face buried between her breasts, her nails scratching his shoulders, and her thighs sliding on top of his. He was surrounded by her warmth, her skin was so soft. He could hear her whispering  _ Killian, _ and he ached with need. He hadn’t heard his name in so long, even longer since it’d been uttered with such tenderness, and... he was about to spend himself in his pants.

She broke eye contact, and he was slammed back to the here and now. That couldn’t have been… Soulmate? No, there was no way. The only woman he ever loved was his Milah, and not even a soulmate could change that. He must’ve just drank more than he realized. Missing Milah, and the fruitless search to defeat the Crocodile was messing with his heart. 

No, his lust was so strong, he was hallucinating. Had to be. Each touch from her set his skin on fire as they drank rum and the room swam in front of his eyes. If she avoided his eyes from then on, he was in no position to notice. 

A massive headache and a night on his floor convinced him it had just been a dream fueled by loneliness and liquor. 


	2. Lancelot's Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma meets a disconcerting stranger. Worse, her newly awakened fairytale mother tries to tell her there's such a thing as soulmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, this is entirely unedited. I'm just gonna go with it. Have fun, I know I am.

_thirty some years later..._

 

Emma wanted to kick something. Or punch something, she wasn’t picky. In a few short months her life had completely turned upside down. She had a son that had died to make her believe in _fairytales_ of all things. She had parents, ones that were brave and selfless and cursed by a vengeful bitch, and what even was her life now. She kicked a rock and ignored Mulan’s glare when it knocked against her boot. Don’t even get her started on being stuck in actual fairytale land with a trio of Disney characters. Her thoughts immediately ran back to Storybrooke. Henry was left at Regina’s mercy and there was nothing she could do about it until she got the hell out of Disneyland. David better be able to protect him, or she was going to skewer Regina the second she got back. Maybe she would anyway.

Mulan led them to back towards camp. The rage at their defeat by Cora vanished in the smell of death as they approached. It was so horrifying, Emma didn’t quite register the weird muttering in the back of her mind.

“Over there!”

Emma rushed over at Aurora’s cry, there was definitely someone moving under some bodies. They worked to uncover him, and Emma’s world was filled with blue.

_{-too suspicious. Gullible, perfect. Suspicious but fiery, shame. Malleable-}_

His gaze fell elsewhere and Emma froze. Aurora and Mary Mar- Snow White were helping him to his feet, comforting the shaking man. Being trapped in this crazy world must have done something to her brain. It almost felt like she heard his voice in her head, and saying very different things than the crap spewing from his mouth now. She shook off the thought and studied him. Even if her mind was playing tricks on her, it wasn’t wrong. The guy was definitely lying, and totally playing up his weak pity routine with the two most susceptible. She needed to take over the interrogation. She wasn’t about to let this asshole keep her from getting back to her kid.

Emma settled in front of him, trying to ignore the voice in her ears. Then she looked into his eyes.

_{Well hello, gorgeous. Damn shame.}_

_[What the fuck-]_

He went pale.

_{Impossible-}_

“What’s a shame? That I’m not going to fall for your pretty face and sad blue eyes routine?”

The others looked on, confusion marring their features.

“Emma?” Snow put a hand on her shoulder, “What are you talking about?”

“How did you not hear him?” She shook off her mother and leaned into his space. “What’s your game?”

_[Come on asshole,you know more than you’re saying and I want to get the fuck home.]_

His eyes softened, even as his lips ticked upwards.

_{You really have no idea what’s going on, do you?}_

_[What the hell are you talking about?]_

She wanted to wipe the somehow simultaneously smug and bemused expression off his face. Even as she thought it, his smirk grew.

_{I’d love to see you try, darling.}_

“Oh that does it-” she grabbed her knife and held it at his throat.

“Emma! What are you doing?”

“Getting answers.”

_{Oh I’m sure there are much more pleasurable ways to get answers, luv.}_

Her fingers curled tighter around the hilt as the vision of his dark hair between her legs flooded her mind. The images were so strong that she could nearly feel his scruff brushing against her folds, tongue teasing along her entrance. It flipped suddenly, and it was her on her knees, commanding glare in her eyes as she held him captive in her mouth.

_{Much better for both of us, aye? What do you say, luv?}_

Emma leapt back from the table. She had goosebumps all over, what the fuck was going on?

“Emma?” Snow turned her towards her, the man’s piercing gaze now flitting between the others. “Emma, were you, did you, what happened?”

She shook her head. How the hell could she explain to her mother that she looked at this random guy and could his mind? And that she enjoyed the dirty images way more than she should’ve?

“It’s pretty simple, the lass and I are soulmates.”

The simpering notes in his voice were gone, and Emma realized she hadn’t actually heard his voice out loud in a while. Snow’s hands tightened on her shoulders as Mulan and Aurora gasped.

He stood up, pulling the ratty shirt off to reveal a much nicer leather vest and a very open billowy black shirt. Emma’s eyes drifted back over as he retrieved something from a bag nearby.

“I thought you weren’t from this realm,” Aurora whispered harshly.

“She is, we had to send her away at birth to save her from the Evil Queen,” Snow replied.

“Wait, what does he mean ‘soulmate?’ There’s no such thing.”

“Here there is.” Mulan and Aurora exchanged a long look.

“Sweetheart, could you hear him? Were you talking before?”

“ _Yes_.” Emma’s exasperation was only fueled by the amusement she could feel rolling off of him. “Couldn’t you hear us? Mr. Obnoxious wasn’t exactly being quiet.”

“Are you saying you’d want her to be privy to _all_ of our little exchange, luv?”

Emma whirled on him, and stopped when she saw the sharp hook he was clicking into place above his wrist.

_{Killian Jones at your service, luv.}_ “Some know me by my more colourful moniker, Captain Hook.”

“Emma’s soulmate is _not_ a pirate.” Snow put an arm in front of Emma.

She made the mistake of glancing up at him.

_{A tad judgemental, isn’t she, luv?}_

“Stop calling me that.”

“Why, what is he calling you?”

Emma pushed past her mother’s arm, ignoring the question. “This soulmate crap is crap. I don’t care whether you believe in it, all I want to do is get home to my son. Are you going to help us or not?”

He let his gaze drift to the horizon. “Your home is Storybrooke, yes? Will you take me with you?”

“Captain Hook wants to go to Storybrooke? Why?”

“So suspicious, I love it.” His eyes landed on Aurora. “I made a deal with Cora: I help her with you lot and she gets me to Storybrooke. Instead I can help you circumvent Cora and get back to your boy.”

“What makes you think we need your help?” Aurora’s voice was strong against the intensity of his stare. Emma was impressed, or maybe she was the only one who found it so intense. She didn’t want to think about that.

He chuckled, “I know a way to travel realms. There’s a compass nearby that can take the user to any realm, as long as they know the direction.”

“What’s the catch?” Mulan asked.

He finally looked back at Emma, and her mind was flooded with images. Ones of towering giants and a bloody battle, and treasure beyond compare.

“Nothing you can’t handle. Just to take me along, and only two of us can go.”

Emma found her voice again. “Why only two?”

“I only have two of these.” He held up two black cuffs as if they were supposed to mean something. “These allow us past the giants’ enchantment. They’re none too friendly towards humans, or any creature for that matter.”

Snow shrugged at Emma as Mulan glowered at the man. It didn’t seem like they had much of a choice. She would do anything to get back to Henry, and didn’t like that Killian seemed to know it.

“Alright fine, let’s go.”

He winked at Emma, and bent to pull his bag over a shoulder.

“Then off to the beanstalk.”

“The what now?”

“Don’t they have giants where you come from, Emma?” He called back.

Mulan and Aurora hurried after him, Mulan’s blade conspicuously drawn.

Snow took Emma’s arm, “are you sure about this, Emma?”

“I’m sure we have to get back to Henry. We can’t leave him against Regina.”

“But he was working with Cora. He _said_ so! I know he’s your soulmate-”

“Soulmates aren’t a thing, Mary Margaret. They’re not real. It was just a trick. We were talking too softly for you to hear, and I guess I haven’t gotten laid in long enough or something.”

Shit, that was something she would say to Mary Margaret, her friend, not Snow White, her mother. She tugged the hand on her arm to pull them after the others.

“Let’s get back to Henry and David. We can skewer him if he lies to us.”

Killian glanced over a shoulder, and shot her a smile before returning his eyes front.

_{Tough lass.}_

Emma felt herself growing warm while Snow looked on worriedly. It was just from the walk, it didn’t mean anything. And she was not hearing his voice in her head. Soulmates were not a thing.


	3. The beanstalk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma confronts a beanstalk, and Killian is a fucking distraction.

That was definitely a beanstalk. An actual, Jack and the Beanstalk, beanstalk. What the hell. Emma stared up at it, ignoring the nearly audible commentary at the edges of her mind. Whatever trick Killian was pulling, it seemed strongest when they actually looked at one another. Or her delusions were strongest then, whichever. It was probably just hormones or some shit. Her life had been excessively stressful and weird as fuck lately, all this “voice in her head” stuff had to just be her body screaming for release with the nearest, and conveniently hot, guy. When was the last time she slept anyway? 

Whatever, if Killian was telling the truth, the only things standing in her way to getting back to Henry were a climbing a beanstalk, a giant, and a vindictive bitch with magic. She could handle those. 

“I’m really worried about this, Emma.”

She wasn’t sure she could handle Mary Margaret right now however. 

“You don’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation.”

“Not the best choice of words when I’m about to climb a gigantic plant.”

“I’m not talking about the beanstalk.” Snow pulled a little further from the others and dropped her voice. “I’m talking about your,” she swallowed, grimacing, “soulmate.”

Emma rolled her eyes, “he’s not my ‘soulmate’, Mary Margaret. There’s no such thing.” 

Her frien- mother’s hangups about Killian seemed pretty rich coming from a woman who apparently had survived as a bandit for years. She assumed it was just the whole formerly “working with Cora” that was bugging Mary Margaret (the whole wanting to kill Gold bit was pretty understandable), but Emma didn’t get it. None of it bugged her, because none of it mattered. She knew Captain Pretty Eyes wasn’t to be trusted, she wasn’t ever  _ going _ to trust him, and everyone needed to shut up about this soulmate crap. 

“Emma, I know you don’t believe me, but that’s what makes me worry. You don’t understand. We didn’t get to raise you, to prepare you for-“

“Ok, fine. Give me the cliff notes so I can go already.”

The other three were milling around the base of the beanstalk. Well, Aurora was milling, Mulan looked like she was planning the ascent, and Killian was probably annoying them, judging by Mulan’s clenched jaw and Aurora’s red cheeks. She marveled a bit at how good Mulan’s control was. The guy didn’t have any sword holes in him yet. 

“I don’t think you should be the one to go.”

Emma whirled on her mother, “ _ what?” _

“Soulmates, while well-known, are fairly rare. Your father and I, we’re soulmates. All we have to do is look into each other’s eyes, and we can hear the other’s thoughts, see what they’re thinking. When we’re close, we can feel the other’s presence. And I mean this literally,” she added, when Emma opened her mouth to interrupt. “It’s heady, and intoxicating. And honestly? Really scary. I was petrified when I first realized with your father. I ran from it.” 

“What does this have to do with climbing a freakin’ beanstalk? If, and I’m only saying this because you won’t drop it,  _ if _ he were my soulmate, the fact that I can see in his brain can only be an advantage.”

“But he could also see in yours,” Snow argued. “If he goes back to Cora, he’d have all the information he could want with just a glance.” 

Emma sighed. It probably wasn’t the time to go over her expectations of betrayal, as hard as her mother’s life had been, the real world was a lot less forgiving than the fairytale one. 

“You really think he’s going to hand that cuff over to anyone else? I can tell when someone’s lying, remember? I’ll be fine. Besides, if this was to save ten year old me from Regina, would you really let anyone else do it?”

She managed to not wince as Mary Margaret went pale. It was a bit of a low blow, but Emma was sick of waiting. She had a kid to get back to.

“Ok, you made your point. Just, be careful? Please?”

Snow reached down and took her hand, eyes bright with unshed tears. Emma gulped and nodded. She was never going to get used to this having a mother thing. They made their way over to the others, and Emma motioned to Mulan while Snow wasn’t looking. 

“If I’m not back by morning, cut this thing down and get Mar- Snow White back to Storybrooke.” 

Mulan’s eyes widened, and she gave a quick nod in response. Emma moved forward as if there had been no pause, and met Killian’s eyes for the first time in a while. 

The complete longing floored her. Not longing for her, but a raw sorrow at watching her with her mother. It was gone in a flash as Killian’s eyes dropped instantly. Who the hell was this guy?

His eyes raised again, no trace of the lost boy in them this time.

_ {I do hope you’re the one joining me atop the… beanstalk?} _

She growled when the image of her straddling his legs and sinking down on his hard cock jumped to mind.

_ [Does your mind  _ **_ever_ ** _ leave the gutter?] _

_ {Oh, that one wasn’t me, darling, that was all you. I had been planning on thinking about something a bit more like-} _

The scene changed to her pressed against the leaves of the beanstalk, moaning as he pounded into her, hook pressing against a nipple, and hand reaching around front to-

“Stop!” 

The three women all jumped at her shout, and Emma closed in to hiss at him. 

“Listen up buddy, we are climbing this thing, we are getting this compass, and then we are going home. You pull another stunt like that, and our deal is over. We’ll find some ogres to eat you or something.” 

She held her arm out for his cuff, pointedly looking away. 

“As you wish, milady.”

Emma tried to suppress the shudder. How did his voice sound even better out loud? She never thought that Captain Hook would be a fucking distraction in her life. If only she could fuck him. Her brain needed to stop. And shut up. 

She could feel her face burning red as they turned to start the climb. 

“Ladies first.” He gestured at the vines, waggling his eyebrows. 

Emma gave one last look at the others, sharing another nod with Mulan and trying to not get caught in Snow's worried stare.  


“Together,” she replied, bracing herself for another image or innuendo. 

Instead he looked straight back at her, and she found the lack of deflection more disconcerting than the enticing images they’d been sharing. 

_ {Together, then.} _


	4. Climb, climb, climb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian has fun(?) climbing.

Killian relaxed as they began to climb, the others soon out of ear range. It was much easier to focus on his next move with a single companion then try and juggle any sort of advantage against four women. His soulmate though, bloody fuck. He never expected he’d have one, and after Milah he assumed he didn’t. What the hell did it mean that he did? And she was here? Was she going to help or hinder his quest? Bugger all, this was the last thing he needed. He took care not to look at the woman in question, lest their eyes meet. He was likely to revert to his habit of using his sex appeal, and that was liable to get them both falling off the beanstalk, for one. 

For the other, as much as her vehement rejection to the bawdy images was belied by her actually initiating some, he had to respect her stated wish. The lady said no, she meant no. Even if it meant he had to worry about his soul being laid bare instead. 

 

“You’ve been really quiet.”

Killian glanced at Emma, too surprised she broke their silence to remember not to. She shrugged back at him before hoisting herself up. Her nonchalance would be believable, if he hadn’t just felt the surprise at herself for caring. He turned back to the task at hand even though he could almost hear her disappointment. 

How could he converse with her without using his deflection techniques?  Being genuine without  _ any _ facade was something he hadn’t done in decades, potentially centuries. Granted, this woman was his soulmate, so supposedly she’d be the one to drop it with. He laughed humourlessly. After losing all he cared about, years of seeking vengeance for his broken heart, and he meets his bloody fucking soulmate. 

“Have you ever been in love?”

Her handhold slipped, and he swung down to catch her, capturing her fingers with his palm. 

_ {[so warm-] _ } 

He pulled her hand to a more secure spot. She extracted it from his grasp as soon as she could.  _ [And I thought  _ **_I_ ** _ sucked at small talk.] _

Killian chuckled.  _ {Apologies.} _

A swan around her neck, and a face came to mind (one that looked oddly familiar), but Emma turned away grimly before he could get more. 

“No, I have never been in love.”

He grinned at her lie. Oh he liked her, this was fun. 

“Then what shall we discuss? The weather? The wind seems to come from all directions up here, doesn’t it?”

Killian felt an unfamiliar pang of guilt as her knuckles went white. 

“How about we  _ don’t  _ talk?” 

He was impressed. The bite in her tone betrayed none of her fear. 

“You just complained I’d been too quiet, now you don’t want me to talk? Make up your mind, Swan.”

“Ugh, forget I even bothered. You’re insufferable.”

He mock-gasped, “insufferable? You wound me, Swan.” He moved over to try and give her a wink. 

_ [Oh, I’ll wound you alright.] _

She picked up the pace, heaving herself up. He grinned at her backside. Riling her up was far more pleasurable then trying to deal the reality of climbing an oversized plant with his fucking  _ soulmate. _

 

Killian had entered an almost zen state. Hand over hook, inaudible muttering from his soulmate of various intensities, the clouds all around giving them their own little world.

“This ‘soulmate’ stuff is stupid.” Emma said out loud, pulling him back to the present. He peeked over, she was ready for a fight judging by the clenched jaw.

He laughed, she had no idea that they were on the same page. “I agree.”

“Wait, what?”

“I said, I agree.” He raised an eyebrow at her while she stared dumbfounded. 

_ [Why?] _

Killian closed his eyes but he couldn’t stop the images of Milah- in the crows nest, learning to use a sword, drinking with the crew- from spilling out. He sighed, and stabbed his hook into the stalk to look at Emma properly.

_ { _ _I_ _**was** in love once. She was passionate and adventurous and daring. But she left a coward of a husband behind. Something for which her husband could never forgive. Never forgave her for choosing a life for herself, for not letting herself waste away in his hovel, never forgave her for loving someone else. So he came aboard my ship, took out her heart, and crushed it to dust in front of me.} _

Killian finally tore his eyes off Emma. He didn’t bother hiding his tears, when Liam passed he had sworn he’d never be ashamed nor embarrassed by loving someone. Seeing matching tears in her eyes though, that touched a part of him he wanted to stay lost. 

“Nothing will stand in the way of avenging my Milah. Meeting my soulmate centuries after such a thing should’ve been possible is not going to change that.”

“But you haven’t.”

His brow furrowed at her hand on his arm. She took it away quickly. 

“Met your soulmate, I mean. Just, there’s no such thing. Soulmates don’t exist.”

Killian shook his head in disbelief. They’d been sharing thoughts and memories, and she, what didn’t believe it? Couldn’t admit that there was something different there? Did she hallucinate often? 

He let her climb onward, warring between relief and an overwhelming desire to smack his head against the accursed plant. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is going to take forever at the rate these two move.


	5. Over the wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma is uncomfortable and Killian is ridiculous; they make quite a team.

Emma’s head was spinning from all the questions. What did he mean by centuries? Then how the hell had he survived so long with that much pain? Why did seeing Milah’s death remind her a little of Graham’s? So sue her, she ran. Well, climbed. What else was she supposed to do? The guy spilled his guts and, and, it was way too much. Part of her marveled at someone loving that deeply. She’d read that people did that, but those were books. People didn’t actually love each other like that. At least, they didn’t love  _ her  _ like that. 

Her thoughts twisted as they brushed past the memories of Neal, the yellow bug, then the setup. Alone and pregnant in jail.

Henry. Henry is what mattered. Henry is all that mattered. Just like revenge was all that mattered to Killian. Her stomach knotted in an entirely different way. She was sheriff… was she allowed to bring someone back that  _ just _ wanted to kill Gold, honest? Probably not. Figured her soulmate would be heartbroken over someone else.  _ Not  _ her soulmate. She did not have a soulmate, there was no such thing as a soulmate. 

 

He hoisted himself off the beanstalk and on to the stone wall around it, holding a hand out to her. Emma took it unthinkingly, heart managing to beat faster against his rough fingers then from the climb. Why did he have to be so attractive? She snuck a look as they stood on the wall together to jump down. Determined looked even better on him than smarmy. She remembered to take her hand back the moment they were on the ground, immediately missing how sturdy his felt. She went to brush off her jeans as a pretense to get rid of the tingling when she winced. 

“Ouch,” Emma hissed. Sure enough there was a long gash in her palm. It didn’t look very deep, but it really stung now that she was aware of it. It must've happened when she slipped.

“What’s wrong?” Killian hastened to her side. “You’re hurt.”

“Whatever, it’s fine. It’s nothing.” She tried to curl her hand so he couldn’t see, pushing past him.

“It’s not nothing, Emma. Let me see.”

She felt his hook circle her wrist and pull her back. Before she could try to protest, Killian glared at her, and turned her hand over with his own, hook still firmly on her arm.

_ {Let. Me. See.} _

_ [Fine.] _

His eyes dropped to examine her wound, and Emma found herself marveling at how dark and long his lashes were. His tongue poked out the side of his mouth, and she was transfixed. His lips just looked so-

“Hold still, this may sting a touch.”

She barely noticed his fishing something out of a pocket. 

“Ow! What  _ is _ that?” 

His stupid tongue was sticking out again, as he poured what looked like a flask over her hand. Holy hell did it hurt.

“Rum, a bloody waste of it.”

Killian shook a handkerchief out of his shirt (what, was his shirt made by Mary Poppins or something? How did he hide all this shit?). Even with his eyes darting back and forth between his hand-wrapping and her staring, she couldn’t look away. 

“This Mary Poppins must be an excellent tailor.”

“Huh?”

“The one you believe made my shirt. A pirate procures only the best after all.” 

He winked at her when she rolled her eyes.

_ [You are ridiculous.] _

_ {I only speak the truth, darling.} _

She rolled her eyes again and he smiled. 

“So what’s the plan?”

Killian pursed his lips as he tightened the cloth. “I figure, we wait til the giant’s asleep, sneak in, find the compass, and off we go.”

“That’s a crappy plan,” she managed. The way his lips and tongue and jaw would not stop moving was seriously distracting.

“I’m all ears, luv, if you have a better idea.”

Emma opened her mouth to speak just as he bent his head again and gripped the bandage with his teeth. Her eyes were reluctantly pulled from his mesmerizing dexterity up to his.

His eyes flooded her vision. She couldn’t stop thinking about his lips, his hand gentle around hers, even the smooth glide of the hook on her arm. Simultaneously seeing her own eyes, bright and green, the slight flush on her face, the way her chest was rising was… intoxicating. 

_ [Mary Margaret was right…] _

_ {Hm?} _

She closed her eyes before anything else could pass between them. 

“Waiting for a giant to potentially fall asleep at an unknown time is stupid.”

“Point taken.” 

She didn’t want to look at him, but he sounded impressed. Ok, someone listening to her straight off was kind of novel, and really nice. Sneaking a glance at her hand, she could see he was done, even though his fingers didn’t seem aware of that, and were caressing the back of the bandage. 

“Let’s use the sleeping powder Mulan gave me.” 

“You know, Swan, you’d make an excellent pirate.”

This time she was surprised. Her memories kept trying to take her back to when she was committing thefts with a different man, and his reaction to her ideas was normally a little less enthusiastic. Emma managed to move her arm down slowly, trying to not betray her eagerness to put some distance between them. Last thing she wanted her brain doing was compared him to… someone else.  

“Let’s do this.”

If he caught any of her thoughts, he didn’t say. He just flashed her a grin, and she felt another wave of unfamiliar support. 

  
  


Emma couldn’t remember whose idea it was to use Killian as bait. She remembered the plan, and how easy it was to brainstorm with him. She just couldn’t quite recall when she agreed to let him careen around like an idiot, taunting the giant (and really, “the worst human around,” like insulting himself was going to make the giant want to kill him more?), and then disappearing under him when he fell. 

“Hook!”

She hated how vulnerable she sounded, hated more how he still hadn’t popped up.

“Killian!”

“He’s out but good.” His dark hair appeared near the giant’s head. “I hate to say this, Emma, but we make quite the team.”

As she raised an eyebrow at his cheeky smirk, she could feel Killian’s heart thudding in his chest still, pride at her aim causing her own to beat louder. 


	6. Looking for treasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Killian look for a compass.

With the giant was taken care of, Emma and Killian wove their way into the… castle? Manor? Something large and  _ wow _ , full of treasure. Killian’s pleased hum barely registered through her own amazement. Where was this place when she was sixteen? She would've been set for life. 

She would’ve been able to keep Henry…

The room spun. She’d been running on adrenaline since arriving in the Enchanted Forest. Knowing he was okay was different than seeing it, feeling it. She finally felt almost worthy of him when she got torn away. Emma took a deep breath. Find the compass, get back, get home. Find the compass, get back, get home. She snuck a glimpse at her companion. She still needed to figure out what she going to do about him. 

  
  


Killian was grateful for the diversion of the gold surrounding them. He watched Emma’s legs wobble for a moment in his periphery, but she steadied herself soon enough. He found himself desperately wishing she’d lean on him… and that was discomforting. He had a mission; a duty to Milah, and a price to exact from the crocodile. 

Even if she hadn’t been his soulmate… He could see the same lost look in her eyes that he’d seen in his own since he was a lad. She was fierce, and gorgeous, dry, and delectable. As he fingered through some of the coins, relishing their weight in his hand, his mind drifted back towards Emma. Once they possessed the compass, the journey to Lake Nostos would require rest along the way. Surely she would be amenable to sharing some company. Connection aside, a blind man would be able to tell she was attracted to him. Truth be told, he was a bit irked about how attractive he found  _ her. _ It would be one thing if he purely desired that blonde hair spread out beneath him, breasts heaving as she writhed with each thrust. But his heart had to keep pointing out her spirit, wit, and her determination to protect her son. Milah didn’t deserve his faltering, she deserved justice. 

Bloody hell he wanted a drink. 

  
  


Emma could feel him falling behind. Looking over a shoulder and sure enough... she sighed. 

“Are you coming?”

“What’s the hurry?”

Was he pausing to sniff the gold? She forced a growl back down. 

“Do you know how long sleeping powder lasts?”

Killian shrugged, eyes still closed. “No clue.”

“ _ That’s  _ my hurry.”

_ {-tactical too-} _

Emma looked away hurriedly. She did not want their shared thought thing right now. She wanted to find the compass, and get the hell out of fairytale land and away from Captain freakin’ Hook. She could feel his admiration settling somewhere in the back of her head. For someone with a ton of deflection techniques, he was weirdly open with her, beyond the scope of their... thing. 

 

She could tell he was distracted. She finally managed to make Killian pick up the pace, but his eyes kept sweeping over the same areas several times before he appeared to focus and actually see what was in front of him. For someone who’d been such a good partner up to this point, as much as it pained her to admit that, there was obviously something on his mind. 

  
  


He shook off the nagging Swan’s presence caused. His soul was past saving anyway, so hers really needed to stop intruding. Killian saw the glint of glass atop a pile, and craned his neck to look. The bloody compass really needed to show up soon. As he kept moving further in, he peered back to ensure it was just a trick of the light, and not what they were seeking. He was sure his path forward was clear, after all. 

  
  


Emma’s concern abated as he actually seemed to bring himself back to the present. Last thing she wanted to do was have to have a heart to heart or other nonsense. 

A weird shadow brought her attention to the floor in front of him, holy shit a tripwire-

  
  


Killian’s body let out a sigh of relief as Emma’s arms encircled him, pulling him into her. 

“About bloody time,” he murmured into her hair. 

If she was giving into their attraction now, maybe he could quell the babbling of his heart. A good, hard shag was perfect for the job. 

  
  


The idiot didn’t even notice it, he was too busy walking backwards. Emma surged forward, grabbing his hand and dragging it around her waist. Her other hand relished the firm, trim waist obvious even through the leather vest under her fingers.

“About bloody time.”

She seethed at his words, what he pretended to not notice the danger just so she’d embrace him? She looked up to tear into him.

_ {Finally, no more pretense…} _

Her mouth dropped open as his thoughts of kissing her, their torsos pressed together, her legs wrapping around his waist, his hook along her spine-

“ _ No.  _ Tripwire. You almost, tripwire.”

Emma pushed herself out his arms, gesturing at the offending wire in front of them. 

Killian scratched behind his ear, an actual blush dusting his cheeks. Emma was shocked, and more than a little annoyed. He  _ assumed _ she was trying to jump him, conjured up obscene thoughts of a thoroughly hard fucking, and then had the gall to go and be, be, be all  _ cute _ and embarrassed about it? She shouldn’t feel bad. Particularly not after that image dump, he should be embarrassed, it wasn’t her fault in any way. 

 

His sleeve slipped down, revealing a nasty looking dagger piercing a heart with a name etched on it. Her heart stuttered, and she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“That’s for Milah?”

His expression went dark as he brought his arm down from his ear, his head turned towards her name. He shook the sleeve that had ridden up back over it. 

“Yes.”

She couldn’t stop looking at him even as his face soured, and he eventually looked back up.

_ {Everything is for her.} _

Emma actually took a step back at the rage and pain in his statement. 

_ [How could you let someone that close, mean that much?] _

The swirl of his anger shifted into disbelief, followed by an empathetic comprehension. She couldn’t tear her eyes away, unable to stop the thoughts of her abandonment, all the terrible homes, Neal, giving up Henry…

_ [Henry, we have to find the compass and get back to Henry. I can’t, I can’t...] _

She felt Killian’s hand brush gently against her arm.

Whatever he was going to respond with didn’t even have time to form as thought when the floor shook beneath them. Her feet slipped, and Killian caught her, both stumbling together.

_ [Fuck.] _

_ {[The Giant.]} _


	7. running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma opens herself up to a connection.

They ran. They just needed to find somewhere to hide and-

The room was shaking so much rubble was coming down all around them. Emma watched in horror as Killian disappeared under a pile of debris. She made to run over when a large hand grabbed her. A very large hand. 

Oh  _ shit. _

 

Anton was… not what she expected. Ok, sure, she had to beat him first (was there a thing with men in this realm where they were required to be beaten up by women before befriending them?), but he was actually pretty sweet. And very scared. 

Hearing someone else’s story of trust, of loneliness saved by charming strangers, only to be betrayed in the worst possible way…

Instead of her thoughts straying to Neal like they would’ve before climbing the beanstalk, they turned to Killian- Hook. Her gut told her she could trust him. Which was what clinched it.

Her gut was wrong, the Enchanted Forest had done something to her. Maybe it was Henry and Mary Margaret rubbing off on her. Whatever the reason, he had tricked Mulan’s people, let them be slaughtered ( _ with no small amount of regret as his thoughts showed you) _ , and wanted to  _ kill _ someone. Like, that was the entire purpose of his existence. She couldn’t trust him. The fact she wanted to proved it. 

_ Right, so his ability to see what you’re thinking, combined with the fact you want to jump his bones  _ **_hard_ ** _ has nothing to do with this decision?  _

He was even making her argue with herself. Fuck that. Decision made.

She turned to Anton, “you mean it when you said you owed me?”

“Of course!” Anton looked excited to be useful.

 

Emma scrambled her way over to where she last saw Killian. She hadn’t even considered the possibility that he wasn’t ok. He had to be, she’d know if he wasn’t. Her certainty wavered as she looked at the huge pile rubble. What if she was wrong? 

Before she could enter panic mode, his hand poked out from the rocks. 

The relief made her knees weak, and she helped him out in no time, shoving any thoughts out of mind. The feel of his hand in hers certainly helped. As did his stare of complete admiration as he got free. Killian looked away quickly, but Emma was still left with the impression of relief at her safety that rivaled her own at his. 

He coughed awkwardly, “did you get it?”

“Yep.”

She beamed back at the admiration in his eyes before he made a show of examining her person for the compass.

“May I see it?”

Emma made sure to keep her eyes averted, trained on her prize as she slipped it out of a pocket. Her fingers tightened on it when he reached out as if to take it. She could feel Killian’s sheepish grin and a whisper of an apology, and he moved his hand away. Instead he turned it over, obviously waiting for her to take it once she put the compass away safely. 

Emma pushed back the anticipation best she could, trying to savour the buzz from his excited appreciation around the edges of her mind. The shackles were heavy in her hand, and she could feel herself nearly splitting in half. 

She closed her eyes as she slid her fingers on his, touching him was addictive. His grasp was rough, but gentle… 

She looked up as she threw the cuff around his wrist, bolting up and away the instant it latched. Emma finally let her eyes up. 

His brow furrowed at the shackle, his arm tugging at it a little. 

“I can’t take the chance I’m wrong about you. I don’t know what’s with our thought thing, but I can’t trust it. I can’t be wrong again.”

“Emma.”

Her heart dropped at the disappointment in his voice. She expected anger, outrage, not resignation. She watched his head raise, eyes slowly lifting up to meet hers and... she ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh.


	8. change in tactics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian is a pirate, through and through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter is the companion to the previous one, I'm posting it sooner than I would otherwise.

Last time he’d seen Emma, she was being lifted away by the giant, struggling in his hand. After he regained consciousness, the pile of rocks over his head gave him pause, but he heard someone digging to him. Killian could feel it was her, grateful for their connection in that moment. When her hand found his to pull him out, and she beamed at him, it felt like his entire heart lit up with the brilliance of it. Every bit of his darkness and agony seemed to flee as he emerged, and it was magnificent. They’d shared a moment of relief, that they were alive and whole. Killian should’ve known.

Then she wouldn’t meet his eyes. He’d known she’d been hurt. Her thoughts told him as such, as well as her reactions to all she interacted with. That whatever this Neal did was so terrible as to make her distrust her own soulmate… part of him wanted to find the git to teach him a lesson.

Then she left him. She tied him to a bloody post and  _ left _ him. 

Killian seethed. Like she was the only one who’d known loss? Known pain? Bloody hell, he was trying to get her back to her son. Just because he needed to skin his crocodile didn’t mean he didn’t also want to see mother and son reunited. That would do more to assuage the hole Milah’s death left in his heart than even the bloody crocodile’s demise would. Emma’s fear was going to be the death of him. He found himself surprised his disappointment in her cowardice rivaled his rage. His own soulmate didn’t feel he was worth- it didn’t matter. Killian pushed the hurt down. It wasn’t like she was wrong, after all. 

 

He worked on the lock while he turned their interactions over in his mind. Obviously nothing he could do would get her to trust him. She even said so, that she wanted to but wasn’t going to allow herself. Bloody fool. 

He was a bloody fool too. For entertaining for even a moment that he could find a purpose again, something not grown in hatred and vengeance. He was Captain Hook, a villain, and he was going to use any means necessary to jam his hook in Rumplestiltskin’s chest. Then Emma would get her bloody wish of not having a bloody soulmate, as he was unlikely to survive that encounter. He’d spare her the torment of loving and losing, just as she wanted. Though he thought it bloody idiotic of her. Especially with Cora-

Cora. Killian blanched. He crossed Cora, and she’d be after them all now. There had to be a way...

The cuff sprang open and he grinned to himself. Before he could do more than let it drop with a satisfying clang, a shadow loomed over him. 

 

“Bloody hell, mate, she’s my  _ soulmate _ !”

“She told me you’d say that. Why would she leave her soulmate behind huh? And locked up with a giant? She wouldn’t, that’s what.” Anton said smugly.

Killian growled from his position stuck under the giant’s palm. 

“Let- me- up!”

“Naw. Emma said you stay here ‘til sunup, you stay here ‘til sunup.”

“Oh, so now you’re going to listen to a human, huh?”

Anton flattened his hand a little, and Killian found himself wheezing for breath. 

“Then… listen... to… another… one…” 

The giant glanced down, relaxing his grip the tiniest bit.

“You had family, aye? People you loved?”

Anton growled, and made to lower his hand again. 

“Wait! Wait, me too. I’ve lost everyone I ever loved, everyone that’s ever loved me. Now my soulmate is running straight towards the most dangerous woman I’ve ever met.”

Killian heaved upwards, managing to snake his way out as his words hit a nerve in Anton. 

“Emma’s in danger?”

“Aye,” Killian snuck his hand into the satchel, he was certain he had sleeping powder… 

Anton’s worries face filled his vision as he lowered his head to Killian’s level. 

“Sorry about this, mate.”

He threw the powder in the giant’s face and jumped back as Anton collapsed forward. Killian felt a nugget of guilt in his gut, but shook it off. He wasn’t about to go soft now. Certainly not because a pair of jade eyes had worked their way under his skin. 

_ Jade eyes that shone much brighter when not in pain or worry, you git. Imagine how sparkling they’d be when she sees her son again. _

Killian ignored his conscience as he spied an interesting item strung around the giant’s neck. Well, well, even a shriveled up magic bean was likely to be useful. He tucked it away safely and straightened up. The giant set him back long enough, he had princesses to pursue. No more thoughts of… more. 

A pirate he was, so a pirate he’d be. 


	9. Treasures lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cora happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as this is a canon divergence/au, at some point it will actually diverge. just... keep that in mind. also doing a canon divergence from memory is interesting. to say the least.  
> it's still unedited so uh... yeah? yeah.   
> you are all the best, btw.

_ Larimar, the Stone of the Caribbean! _ That’s what the sign next to the display read. Emma peered into the window, nose almost against the glass to get a better look. It was… beautiful. She’d never seen a gemstone that looked so organic. It was a beautiful blue, a dash of yellow, and a vein of white. The longer she stared, the more the stone filled her vision. She blinked, long and slow, and she was staring into Killian’s eyes. 

There was hurt, disappointment, rage staring back at her, his irises the colour of the gemstone. Worst though, was his lost look. He appeared positively devastated, and she watched the light die in his eyes. 

 

Emma woke with a start. Holy- fuck. It was just a dream. A really real dream. About the day she decided to leave Tallahassee. And starring Killian. If she was gonna dream about the guy, why wasn’t it a nice sexy one, instead of guilt-ridden emotional bullshit? That was decidedly not cool on her brain’s part. Well it, and her  _ tiny _ ounce of regret could fuck right off, she was almost home, almost back to Henry. 

 

She managed to avoid her mother’s eye as they broke camp, ready for the last bit of the journey to Lake Nostos. It had been bad enough when she got down from the beanstalk alone. Aurora’s and Snow’s side-eyes were constant, although thankfully her mother seemed most relieved she was back safely to care too much about the pirate not at her side. Mulan however, was impressed. Emma, for her part, didn’t want to think about the man she left on top the beanstalk. They still had Cora to watch out for, Emma didn’t have time to be focusing on men that could see inside her soul and happened to have the body of a sex god. 

 

***

 

Killian dropped down the last few feet, only to be greeted by a menacingly saccharine voice.

“Hook.” 

He swallowed his distaste quickly, and put on his most charming smile before turning. 

“Cora.”

“Where’s my compass?”

“Cora, darling-”

“Save it. You stole my protection spell, climbed the beanstalk, now I want my compass.”

“Alas, there was a complication. Details are trifling. Suffice to say, it’s escaped my grasp but momentarily.”

He swaggered forward, thrusting both his hips and lower lip forward as best he could. His reward was an appreciative but cold smile. 

“Who was it that bested you? Who has my compass?”

Killian finally broke eye contact with her, warring between responses. Whatever he said, the women would all be in danger. He dragged his tongue along his teeth in a grimace, if only there was another way... Oh wait, now there was an idea. He lifted his eyes again, making sure to gaze at her through his lashes, and sway further into Cora’s space.

“I can retrieve it for you, luv, but I did find another means of-” 

“No need, you’ve already done enough.” Her smile dissipated, only the steel left in her voice. “That insufferable Snow White, she has it, yes? Or her daughter? No matter, I’ll get it back from them. I never thought you’d be turned by a pair of pretty eyes, Hook, I’m disappointed.”

Killian couldn’t help the snarl from coming out. “I’ve been turned by  _ nothing.  _ Our mission is to get to this Storybrooke, and I have-”

Cora cut him off with a wave of her hand. “Your handsome face buys you a lot, but not my time.”

He lunged a split second too late, she’d already transported away.  

 

***

 

Emma would be jealous of how Aurora dozed off instantly when they stopped for a break if she didn’t know about the nightmares plaguing her. The poor woman was whimpering in her sleep even. It wasn’t until the whimpers became gasps that her mother shook Aurora awake.

“It was just a dream! It was just a dream, Aurora.”

“No, no it wasn’t!” Aurora’s eyes were wide, her breath coming out in short bursts. “There was a boy, there was a boy in the flames, he said his name was Henry.”

“Wait, Henry?” Emma cut in. “How, was he ok? How was he there?”

“Yes, he, he was able to douse the fire, somehow. Was that your Henry? How is that possible?”

They all looked at Snow, who was fidgeting with her bow as she sank down beside Aurora.

“They’re not dreams. I mean, I always thought they were, but obviously,” she gestured towards Aurora, “they’re not. Henry was under a sleeping curse too, Emma broke it, and I guess he’s also going there now.”

“Is he safe? This place doesn’t sound safe.” Emma was digging her nails into a palm, trying to stop her mind from spiralling. 

“Wait, this means…” Snow turned to Aurora, placing a calming hand on Emma’s. “This means we can talk to him. We can make sure that he’s ok, that everyone’s ok. We can let them know we’re headed home!” 

“We can warn them about Cora,” Emma squeezed her mother’s hand back.

Aurora, however, was turning whiter than normal. Mulan came over to stand behind her and glower at Emma and Snow.

“You, you want her to go back in there? You want her to purposely go to sleep so she can be in a room filled with  _ fire _ ?!” 

Aurora stood up, and turned to her friend, “I want to. I want to help.”

Before they could start arguing, twigs snapped much closer than expected, and suddenly the clearing was filled with Cora’s zombies. 

“Run!” 

Snow shot off some arrows as the others scrambled up, Mulan cutting through some that had managed to surround them while they talked. Emma grabbed a tree branch as she ran through the hole Mulan had created, swinging at the corpses lunging at them. She could hear her mother’s bow twanging a little ways behind her as they ran, her heart pounding in her ears nearly drowning the sound out. It was a few minutes later that the following footsteps ebbed, and she paused to look behind. Snow emerged from a nearby clearing, hugging her instantly before releasing her to look for the others. They both brandished their weapons as Mulan crashed into sight, lowering them with sighs of relief. 

“They took her,” Mulan sounded like she was about to cry, her expression heartbroken.

Emma and Snow exchanged an alarmed look, “what?”

“They took Aurora, she’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw, I have a larimar necklace and it's gorgeous. it's also the best match for Killian's eyes. I think he'd like his eyes being likened to a stone only found in the Caribbean.


	10. Round and round

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aurora's been kidnapped, Killian helps her escape. Emma gets motivated.

“Come on, luv, wake up.”

Killian could see the woman’s eyes slowly focus on his face, and suppressed a huff of frustration. He was trying to not scare her outright, but he really needed her to wake up, and quickly. 

“Wha-“

“Shhh, lass. I’m trying to help you escape.”

“You are?”

Killian nearly rolled his eyes at her question. “Would you rather remain Cora’s captive? I’m sure your last conversation with her was a delight.”

The princess turned appropriately pale but Killian kept his grim mask in place. 

“I thought not. Come, hurry.”

He placed a hand under her arm gently, ushering her towards the dungeon’s exit. 

“Wait, where’s Cora? Won’t she just kill us as soon as we leave?”

“She departed just a few moments ago, heading to capture the giant a top the beanstalk.” He turned away, making his eyes blank. “She tortured me when I wouldn’t tell her who had the compass. Now she’s going to capture the giant and do the same. I can only hope he wishes to protect Emma as I did.”

“She, what?” Aurora looked him up and down, noticing his dragging leg, the way he was subtly clutching his other side. “You’re hurt!”

“Aye, which is why you need to run back to the others alone. I fear I won’t be able to keep up.”

He’d finally maneuvered her to the door, pushing her ahead.

“No, I can’t just leave you, she’ll kill you!”

“I’ve survived worse. And perhaps I can save the giant too.” He winced, and steadied himself against the wall. “Tell Emma… tell Emma I’m sorry. I wish she’d trusted me. Maybe we could’ve at least spared the giant, and she’d be home with her boy already.” 

Aurora’s eyes were bright with tears. She reached a hand back towards him and he waved her away. 

“Go, quickly! I think I hear her!”

Killian watched her run off into the woods, waiting until her footsteps were long inaudible. He stretched, shaking out his leg as he stood up straight. Now to wait for Cora’s return. 

 

***

Emma was about ready to tear into Mulan. How could she even consider giving into Cora without trying something else first? They couldn’t trust her! She understood worrying over Aurora, but Cora was likely to kill them all as soon as she go what she wanted. There  _ had  _ to be another-

They all whirled at crashing coming towards them, readying weapons (Emma was really wishing she’d held on to her dad’s sword). Aurora burst through the brush, nearly landing at their feet. Mulan rushed over while Emma and Snow kept their eyes on the direction she came from. 

“Aurora! Are you hurt? Were you followed?”

“No, no I don’t think so.” Aurora kept her hands on Mulan’s arms as the other woman pulled her up. 

Snow lowered her bow, “what happened?” 

“Hook.”

Emma’s head shot over to stare at Aurora. “Hook?”

“Yeah, he, he saved me. He saved me, but Emma, she  _ tortured _ him. He was limping and it looked like it hurt so badly to move.”

“Weren’t they working together? Why would she torture him?” Snow looked skeptical.

Aurora shook her head, “He said he wouldn’t tell her who had the compass.” She took the water Emma passed her, nodding gratefully. “ I was only able to escape because Cora went after a giant to try torturing him instead. Since Hook couldn’t keep up with me, he was going wait for her to return to try and save him too.” 

_ Well shit. _ Never mind her guilt over leaving Killian behind, now she’d gotten Anton caught up in all this?  _ Dammit. _

“There’s more. Hook told me to tell you he was sorry. Said something about how he wished you’d trusted him? And how he wanted you to get home to your boy. I think, I think he genuinely cares for you, Emma.”

Emma shifted uncomfortably under Aurora’s gaze. She had this whole… admiration in her voice and admonishment in her eyes, and Emma definitely wasn’t comfortable with being judged by a woman she barely knew. Mulan had Aurora sit down, examining her despite protests she was fine. Snow took Emma’s elbow and made sure to face away from them.

“What do you think?”

“What do I think? It’s my fault Anton’s been dragged into this, I can’t just leave him.” 

“About Hook,” Snow stared at her hopefully. “I mean, he  _ is  _ your soulmate, there must be good in him. Maybe we could save him too?”

Emma let out a hollow laugh.  _ Right, ‘cause I’m such a paragon of virtue.  _ The regret curled up in her gut raised its head. She had just wanted to get home, get back to Henry, keep him safe. Why did things have to get so complicated?

“I guess.”

Mulan looked up sharply, “you guess what?”

“We have to help Anton.”

“And Hook?”

“I…” Emma glanced back at her mother, hope still shining out of her eyes. “I don’t know. I guess we’ll see.”  

 

***

 

Killian tucked the shell necklace back into a pocket, padding it with a some cloth. Cora clapped her hands slowly, and he gave a little bow. 

“And now, you have incentivized the one with your compass to come straight to your waiting arms.”

“By releasing my leverage.”

He shrugged, “it was a calculated risk. The Swan girl seemed a soft touch, what with sparing the giant.”

“But not you,” Cora smiled maliciously at him. “No sympathy for the pirate?”

He didn't bother to answer her, feigning disinterest. No need to poke at a sore spot. Emma had made her decision, he was making his own. It was a mistake to take his eyes off Cora. He’d hardly blinked when she had him pinned against the walls, vines holding him there tightly. 

“Don’t  _ ever  _ jeopardize my plan with your ‘risks’ again.” She stepped in, pressing her nail into the skin above his chest. 

Killian stared her down, letting the fury emanating from her just wash right over him. 

“Now give me that amulet, i know the exact touch we need to sell this...”

 

***

 

“Are you sure about this? We could be headed into a trap,” Mulan said to Emma, following on her heel. “You’re bringing the compass within reach of Cora.”

She shot a half-amused, half-annoyed glare back. “I remember you arguing to  _ give _ the damn thing to her when it was Aurora on the line.”

“Ok, but she was going to kill her!”

Emma stopped and stared. “Is Cora capable of capturing a giant?”

Mulan bit her lip, “she had the the cuffs to get past the protection spell on the beanstalk, she masqueraded as Lancelot and I didn’t even notice…”

Emma waited as Mulan’s face went through a series of grimaces. When she eventually looked back up and nodded, Emma sighed heavily and turned back to hiking down the hill without a word. 

 

Snow held an arrow at the ready as she snuck around the entrance’s corner. 

“I don’t see anyone.”

The others came in slowly behind her, Mulan going around with her sword drawn. 

“Wait!” They all froze as Mulan held up a hand. “Do you hear that?”

Emma strained to hear something, the faint buzzing from Killian’s presence back in her head. He was definitely nearby. It took her a moment that she was also hearing his groans audibly.

“That sounds like Hook, he must be in pain!” Aurora began rushing forward, looking for the him.

As they went further in, his whimpers and soft pleas for help grew louder. 

“I think it’s coming from in there!” 

Aurora ran into the far room towards the form hidden in the shadows, Snow right on her tail. Mulan and Emma approached last. Something felt weird. Emma was pretty sure the hum in her head was less than before, did that mean he was dying? And how would Cora fit a giant down here?

“It’s not him.”

Aurora straightened up, something shining in her hands. “It’s a… shell pendant? What is this?”

The moans continued broadcasting from the shell, and Emma whirled around. 

“It’s a trap.” 

She bolted for the unnoticed gate, only to reach it as it slammed down in front of her.

“ _ Fuck. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you didn't expect anything else :D


	11. Comings and goings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Killian... discuss her predicament.

“ _ Fuck. _ ”

“What coarse language. What  _ did _ you teach your daughter, Snow?” Cora stepped into the light, smirk growing upon gazing at her captives. “Oh, that’s right, you never taught her anything, did you? It must be a terrible thing, to know you’re a failure as a mother.”

Snow was shaking with rage, but held out an arm in front of Emma before she could try lunging for the bitch. 

“My daughter broke  _ your  _ daughter’s curse, even without my help. So I’d say that the better genes won out.”

Emma gaped at her mother. That was… wow, she had no idea she had it in her. She kind of wanted to applaud. 

The sound of clapping startled her, just as she had that thought. Cora sent a withering glance at the shadow approaching, and the captives all turned in its direction. 

“It would appear she did inherit her language from her mother after all, my dear.”

Hook swaggered up beside her, eyebrow arched at Snow. He looked down at Cora, and gave a quiet chuckle at her still poisonous expression. 

“It’s only good form to acknowledge wit when it’s due.”

“Yeah, and is it ‘good form’ to trick and betray people?” Emma spat out, surging forward and gripping the bars.

Killian stepped in, eyes turned away as he leaned forward.

His breath caressed her ear as he murmured, “I don’t know, luv, you tell me.”

She flushed at that, guilt and anger fighting for dominance. “You would’ve done the same.”

He pulled back, nose nearly brushing her cheek. The emotional turmoil she was already feeling multiplied at his proximity, even before his eyes lifted to meet hers.

“No, I wouldn’t.”

Killian’s words resonated in her head as he held her gaze. Emma’s chest constricted. He… meant it. Truly. 

“Enough of this show, Hook.” Cora’s voice interrupted. “Who has my compass?”

Killian flicked a finger towards Emma, and strode away nonchalantly. “And my shells too, if you please.”

His shells? That stupid fakeout necklace thing was  _ his?  _

Emma gritted her teeth and placed a protective hand on her pocket. “You’re not taking the compass, it’s not yours.”

“What is that delightful expression? ‘Finders keepers’?” Cora smiled sweetly at her, and flourished her hand. 

Aurora yelped beside her, and her pocket immediately felt lighter. Cora turned the compass over in the light, examining it closely. She passed two shells over to Hook’s waiting hand, not even bothering to look at him. 

Emma’s stomach dropped. This couldn’t be happening. They had been so close, and this monster was about to steal their way home. Cora’s eyes snapped up to Emma’s glare. 

“Thank you, Aurora, for your assistance.” Cora smirked at Mulan’s answering snarl and Aurora’s whimper, eyes never leaving Emma’s. “Now ladies, do enjoy your stay. It’ll last the rest of your lives after all.”

She picked her way to the exit, Hook pushing off the wall as she passed to follow in her wake. 

“Killian!”

Emma wanted the ground to swallow her. She hadn’t meant to call out, she just couldn’t… he wasn’t really going to leave her there. He wasn’t going to leave  _ with _ Cora. Why was she even questioning it? Of course he would. He would leave, just like everyone else did. 

He stopped. And turned. 

Their eyes met as Emma’s widened in shock. 

_ {Now you want my help?  _ **_Now?_ ** _ } _

Emma winced. His hurt and anger was palpable. She possibly deserved it, but that didn’t mean she wanted to experience it in her soul. 

“Yes, Lady Swan? Were you hoping for a last request? Possibly a conjugal visit?”

Her eyes flew back up to him, the lewd smile not reaching his eyes. 

_ {Unless you’d rather Cora know of our… connection?} _

Emma shook her head, making sure to glare at him. “I have to get back to my son.”

_ [I can’t leave Henry. I can’t. He needs me, and-] _

_ {And you can’t do to him what most everyone in your life has done to you?} _

“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you left me to die on the beanstalk.”

Emma’s head was spinning a little, their verbal conversation somehow disassociated from their mental one, and yet still echoing it. She flashes of a boy on a ship, bright smiles and eagerness, overshadowed by angry words and-

Hook tore his eyes away, reaching down to take her hand. She hated how warm his fingers were, the strength in his hand. Mostly she hated how much she didn’t hate it. 

“Such a pity, Swan. We could’ve had such fun together.”

“Play with your food if you wish, Hook, I’m leaving.” Cora’s voice barely cut through the tension, but his eyes finally returned to hers as he lifted her fingers up to brush his lips against them. 

“There you are, darling. A last good memory to hold on to as the walls close in.”

_ [Wow, well  _ **_that_ ** _ was dark, thanks a lot.] _

Killian winked at her as Cora headed out. 

_ {See you soon, Emma.} _

 

The pair left, and the others gathered around, cursing and trying the bars. Emma stood there for a few moments, mind still reeling from the last few moments. It took Snow asking her repeatedly if she was ok for her to snap out of it, and nod, signaling for the others to quiet down. 

Slowly she opened her hand, trying to will the tingling from his lips away, to reveal one of the shell pendants. Emma hushed Mulan as she opened her mouth to question it, the instructions from Killian to ensure absolute silence when using it ringing in her ears. 

“-no way for them to escape, aye?”

Aurora gasped as Hook’s voice came out from the shell. The others all raised a finger to their lips and Aurora covered her mouth. 

“Don’t tell me the dreaded Captain Hook is worried about a bunch of princesses?”

“I find it pays to never underestimate one's enemies, milady.”

“The only way out of that cell is squid ink, and they’ll never find any. Shame, I would’ve loved to deliver Snow’s heart to my daughter, but one must make sacrifices.”

Snow closed a scarf over Emma’s hands, muting it. 

“What?” Emma was a little annoyed, Killian was obviously fishing for them and Snow stopped their eavesdropping? 

She smiled back at Emma’s confusion. “There  _ is _ squid ink here. It was one of the things Rumpelstiltskin asked for back when we imprisoned him. Come on, it has to be here somewhere.”

Emma took the wrapped shell and wrapped another black cloth around it before slipping it into a pocket. She tried to shove down the memory of warmth of his breath when he’d bandaged her with the handkerchief, which led to thinking of Killian’s lips on her hand. Everything was too confusing. He was helping Cora, but helping them? But… her head too much to dwell on it. She didn’t trust him before, and that didn’t work. Maybe it was time to try something different. 


	12. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian and Emma both fall down.

Killian tried to not fiddle with the shell weighing heavily in his pocket. He was still surprised he’d bothered helping them ( _her_ ) again. The woman leaves him for dead and he chooses to double-cross Cora, again? He must be out of his mind.

Baelfire’s heartbroken face flashed to mind, and Killian fought back a grimace. There was something about Emma’s son ( _Henry wasn’t it?_ ) that had the memories of Milah’s son running rampant. His biggest regret coming back to haunt him, through his soulmate no less ( _because Baelfire’s face didn’t haunt you anyway?)_ . Bloody hell, he needed to stop talking to himself. Cora put her hand out expectantly for him to help steady her over a rock. His conscience had the worst possible timing. He wanted his revenge, _needed_ his revenge. What other purpose did he have? A centuries-old, one-handed pirate, family and lover long gone…

Killian wasn’t sure what he’d do if Emma didn’t catch them up. She was quite clever, that Swan, so he didn’t doubt she’d find some way back to her son, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to live with himself if he kept another boy apart from a parent that loved him. Loving parents were a rarity in his experience, and he had a lot to make amends for. Perhaps if he survived long enough, he could contemplate the bloody wonder of the universe delivering his soulmate to him at the cusp of his vengeance.

 

The lake was… not a lake. It was an arid crater.

He arched an eyebrow at Cora, “Don’t lakes ordinarily contain water?”

Killian didn’t bother leaving the irritation out of his voice, Cora was so insistent on this plan, never mind his backup relying on the water’s magic, and now _this_?

“You doubt me, Captain?” She picked her way over to the edge. “Once Prince ‘Charming’ had slain the siren, the lake had no protector. However, just because we don’t see any water doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

Cora held out her arms and concentrated for a moment, before thrusting them up and apart. The ground shook, and a geyser erupted to begin filling the once empty lake bed.

“Hold it right there!”

_Fucking finally._ He and Cora exchanged annoyed expressions as he drew his blade, even as his heart fluttered with relief.

 

***

 

Emma gasped when she saw the geyser erupt just beyond Killian and Cora. She was never going to get used to this magic stuff. What she would give for a nice long nap far away from anyone and anything magical ( _does Hook count as magical, because he seems damn fine to take a nap with…_ ).

Ok yeah, she _really_ needed a nap if that’s where her brain went. Stop Cora, get back to Henry, and go collapse. Her mother readied an arrow and nodded at Emma as Cora tossed the compass to Hook, circling her way towards Snow.

“Get the compass, I’ll hold her off.”

Emma fought down the anxiety over Snow facing a freakin’ magic user on her own, kind of wishing they hadn’t turned down Mulan and Aurora’s help, but this wasn’t their fight. And after all Killian would probably just hand over the compass-

He had already drawn his blade and was grinning at her. He had to be fucking joking.

_[What. Are. You. Doing.]_

_{What’s it look like, luv? Gotta keep up appearances, they are my biggest asset after all.}_

Emma’s surprise that their stupid connection worked at such a distance was overshadowed by her frustration.

_[Why can’t you just give me this? Why do you have to keep up the pretense?]_

_{Ah, but who said it’s a pretense? I_ **_will_ ** _get to your Storybrooke, one way or another. I’d just rather not separate a lad from his mother to do so.}_

She wanted to question that, his regret and sorrow once again palpable in his thoughts, but they flashed back over to Cora who was currently throwing fireballs at Snow before she could.

_{That, and unless you have some hidden magic, I’m afraid we wouldn’t last long against Cora. You may have faced her daughter in a land without magic, but Cora is far stronger and even more dangerous.}_

Emma let out a breath as Snow rolled under a fireball and released another arrow, causing Cora to poof away and reappear elsewhere. She turned her attention back to Killian, and charged towards him, sword thrust forward.

 

***

 

Killian nearly laughed at the way Emma launched herself at him. The woman had no clue what she was doing, but damn if she wasn’t fearless. He was thankful to be watching her feet and swordhand when the less than flattering thoughts went through. He suspected her “attack” would be even more ferocious ( _and entirely adorable_ ) otherwise.

“Give me the compass.”

He easily parried her swipe, spinning out of reach. “Is this you asking nicely? I must say it needs a bit of work.”

She growled, and this time he couldn’t hold back the laugh.

_[And here I thought you actually wanted to help us.]_

_{Just trying to make it convincing, darling.}_

She dove at him, and Killian grabbed her wrist to toss her to the ground. Emma scrambled to bring her sword up at him. He trapped it between his hook and blade, taking the opportunity to crouch over her, sliding their weapons down together between them.

“Normally there are other, more enjoyable activities I do with a woman on her back,” he licked his lips as she flushed beneath him.

He couldn’t stop his thoughts from straying to how delicious she must be when aroused, how she would soak his tongue as he teased moans and gasps from her, to how her nails would scratch along his spine when he thrust up into her wet heat…

Killian snapped his eyes away.

“Apologies,” he muttered.

Emma gaped for a moment before responding. “Wait, what?”

Her jade eyes bored into his, and he felt his cheeks reddening from shame.

_{When a lady requests cessation of sexual advances, a gentleman listens. You made that request and I’ve been trying to honour it.}_

She looked away this time, but the brief flash of confusion he received drove away his embarrassment and replaced it with anger at the men she must’ve encountered in her life. Killian glances towards Cora, and saw with relief that she and Snow were still dodging one another. Not that he would’ve minded seeing Cora felled, but he seriously doubted an only recently uncursed princess could outdo the Queen of Hearts. Movement below him brought his attention back to Emma.

“Thanks for the compass,” she grinned up at him.

His brow furrowed until he saw the compass in her raised hand as it accelerated towards his face.

_{Well played.}_

 

***

 

Emma was kind of shocked when Killian collapsed, conveniently beside her, instead of on top. She could still feel him buzzing in her head, so she wasn’t too sure how much of that was coincidental. Whatever, she had the compass, now she just had to grab her mother-

Emma turned in time to see her mother loose her last arrow, missing Cora again. Cora’s chuckle made Emma fly over, forgetting about Hook and her sword entirely. She may not be used to this “family” thing but there was no way in fucking hell she was letting anything happen to any of them now that she’d found them. She shoved Snow out of the way just as Cora’s hand thrust out, and holy _fuck._

The woman’s hand felt like ice in her chest, fingers wrapping themselves around her heart. Emma gasped, Snow trying to scramble to her feet to help her. Cora grinned evilly.

“Oh you silly girl. Don’t you know love is weakness?”

The hand tightened but Cora grimaced as she tried to pull it free and Emma could feel her heart only stay steadfast. The product of True Love. She was the product of True Love, her _heart_ was…

“No. It’s not. It’s strength.”

She could feel it, the love that made her, the love she had, all coursing through her. In that moment, Emma knew exactly what to do with it. She pushed it outward, and Cora was flung back effortlessly along with a blinding flash of white light.

What just-

Snow grabbed her and hugged her tightly, hand pressed against Emma’s on her chest.

“Come on, let’s go home.”

Emma nodded, heart still pounding away beneath her fingers. She could figure out what just happened after they were safely back in Storybrooke. Her mother reached out her hand, and Emma clasped it tightly, compass held between them. Jumping into a swirling water portal suddenly didn’t seem so scary, the light inside her still pulsing with every heartbeat.

 

***

 

Killian sat up, Cora lying unconscious a ways off, heart pounding in his chest as his soulmate disappeared into the vortex. His apparently magical soulmate.

Well, bloody fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dunno, i don't really recommend writing with a migraine. mostly 'cause i have no idea if it actually worked out not, but words came out so yay?


	13. No rest for the wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian and Emma both desperately need a drink. Lots of drinks.

Killian saw Cora stir nearly the instant the vortex closed behind the other women, and immediately arranged himself as though only just gaining consciousness. Bloody hell, he’d been hoping for at least enough time to weigh the pros and cons of attempting to cross Cora ( _for the third time_ ) before she came to. Oh well, time for Plan B.   
As soon as they got to this Storybrooke, he was downing a whole bloody barrel of rum.

***

Henry was back her arms. He was safe, he was whole. Emma held him close to her, as tightly as she dared. Her parents enveloped them both after their reunion, David cradling her head the same way she instinctively cradled Henry’s. The whole feeling of being loved was disconcerting.

Almost as disconcerting as it had been to see Regina in Mary Margaret’s loft when they returned. David’s hand on her arm kept her from immediately going after her.  
“She helped. She and Gold helped Henry when he was having nightmares, and when I was dealing with… the town.”  
Emma glared skeptically at him. “Regina? The one who sent me to another realm with some damn spirit thing on my tail? Who poisoned Henry?”  
“Yeah, I know, I was surprised too.” David chuckled and led her to the kitchen to grab some water. Emma scowled across the room but helped him anyway, a constant eye on the other three.   
“So what happened, how did you get back?”  
“Yes,” Regina interrupted Henry. “How _did_ you get back?”  
“We managed. No thanks to your mom.”  
Emma relished how pale Regina turned, until confusion caught up. Why would Regina-  
“My mother? You saw Cora? How, but Cora’s dead!”  
She turned her questions towards Snow who looked almost ready to comfort her.   
“She’s very much alive, Regina. And hell bent on getting to Storybrooke too. You have any idea why?”  
David placed a supportive hand on Snow’s shoulder, and Emma couldn’t stop the awe from distracting her. Here was Snow White and Prince Charming, heroes and rulers. Holy shit these were _her parents_.   
Regina’s jump to defensiveness was a welcome distraction from her imploding thoughts.   
“You think I’m working with her? That I have some sort of nefarious plot?”  
“You just cursed us for twenty eight years! You tore our daughter away from us!”  
Henry’s arms tightened around Emma’s middle as Snow’s voice rose.   
“And I still _**lost**_!”   
Emma could’ve sworn she saw tears in Regina’s eyes but the woman stalked away.  
“I’ll always be just a villain to you, won’t I?”  
Emma gaped as she slammed the door behind her. Was she for real? What the actual fuck.  
“Maybe if you stopped trying to kill us-“  
“David!”  
He just shrugged when Snow elbowed him, nodding pointedly in Henry’s direction.  
“You don’t think she’s really evil, do you?” Henry looked up at Emma, eyes wide.  
Snow answered immediately, “of course not Henry, no one's saying that.”  
Emma and David exchanged a glance, both biting their tongues.   
Henry pulled away from Emma and tugged her down to his eye level. “I know she’s made mistakes, and she hasn’t been the best person… but she deserves a second chance.”  
“Henry-“  
“She’s still my mom.”  
David and Snow came by Emma, David ruffling Henry’s hair, and Snow squeezing Emma’s shoulder. She smiled back at Henry, and gave a nod while David answered for all of them.  
“You got it, kid.”  
Henry threw his arms around David and Emma stood up. Snow took her elbow to move her a little away from the boys as they discussed going to Granny’s for dinner (... _like there was even a question?_ ).   
“Do you think Cora will make it to Storybrooke another way?”  
Snow shook her head. “I mean, it’s not like it’s easy, or she wouldn’t have needed all the same stuff we did.” She studied her daughter for a moment, before a light came on in her eyes that Emma really wasn’t happy about. “You’re worried about Hook, aren’t you? Don’t worry, Emma. Soulmates have a way of finding each other. Let’s just hope he’s shaken Cora off before then. Maybe we can figure out a way to go back for him?”  
“Yeah, we’re not even going touch that subject.” She could tell by the unrelentingly gleam in Snow’s stare that she answered way too quickly, and turned away, cursing at the way her heart pounded just from his stupid name. “Let’s go have dinner, enjoy being home, and deal with potential villain invasion tomorrow.”  
Snow’s eyes teared over and she grabbed Emma’s hand to squeeze it. “You’re right, you’re _home_.”  
Emma tugged herself away as casually as possible, thankful for Henry’s bounding over with her jacket. There were too many emotions from too many angles and holy fuck she really just wanted a drink. Or five. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd apologize for the shorter chapters but it's what keeps working best for the pacing. If I were editing at all, I'd probably be able to do it. So I apologize for not editing. ;)


	14. Welcoming committee

The whole town was excited they were back, and for awhile Emma reveled in the party. She’d even managed to invite Regina, and make everyone mostly okay with it ( _the things Henry’s pleading face could get her to do…_ ). The woman’s lasagna was surprisingly good, and Emma couldn’t help the twinge of sympathy for Regina when people kept avoiding it, or her. Sure, she’d brought it all on herself, but Emma knew better than probably anyone else how much being ostracized sucked. Of course, she still wouldn’t care if Archie hadn’t spent so long telling her about how Regina was trying to not be evil. Lowest bar possible, but everyone had to start somewhere.

 

When Regina stalked off ( _ok fine, maybe Emma shouldn’t have mentioned that Archie told her about Regina’s advice seeking, but it wasn’t her fault he did_ ), the party’s mood heightened significantly. Watching the dwarves carousing with her father was rather hysterical. The whole feeling of community was a balm after their ordeal. Emma stuffed another onion ring in her mouth. This realm was so much better.

 

“Mom, Mom! Grandma told me you met _Captain Hook_! How could you not tell me?! What was he like?”

Emma nearly choked on her onion ring when Henry bounded over, knocking into her. He didn’t even notice, the questions continuing unabated.

“Was he like the books, all polite and brooding, a handsome gentleman? Or was he a dastardly villain? Did he have the twirly moustache and long hair? Did you meet Pan too? Did a crocodile really take his hand?”

“Whoa, whoa kid. Uh, yeah, he was,” Emma gulped, Killian’s blue eyes springing to mind. The way he licked his lips, the way his fingers felt on hers, his face pressed into her hair… “He was cool, I guess. Nothing like the cartoon.” She knew she was blushing and holy crap did she hope everyone else assumed it was from the press of people around them.

“Cool?” David walked up just in time to look st her incredulously. “You thought Captain Hook was cool? He’s a _pirate_.”

The derision in her father's voice made her double down.

“Exactly,” she winked to Henry, pleased to hear David’s annoyed grunt beside her. “He helped me steal a treasure from a giant. We climbed this huge beanstalk, and that’s where we found the compass that would get us home. You shoulda seen the treasure room, kid, it was amazing. Gold and jewels, piles of it.”

Her smile widened as Henry’s eyes shone, the wonder practically emanating out of him. She glanced up to grin at David, only to see he and Snow staring at each other intently. They were talking mentally, Emma realized. The whole soulmate thing hadn’t come up until after she broke the curse, was it in Henry’s book? It just seemed a little weird no one mentioned it earlier, if it was a real thing.

“Say, do you have your book on you? I could point out places we went.” Emma tried to ignore the way her parents were still staring at each other, hands motioning vaguely. Did they even realize their conversation was silent?

“Oh that’d be so cool! It’s back at the loft, can we do that when we get home?”

She ruffled Henry’s hair, skin crawling with the need to be away from possibly telepathic couples and helicopter parents. “Of course, kid. It’ll be fun. Hey, do you mind hanging here with Mary Margaret and David until it’s time to go? I just wanna go… check on Gold. You know, thank him for helping you and all that.”

“Sure, I wanna ask Grandma about meeting Mulan and Sleeping Beauty!”

She kissed him on the head, and gave the others a wave as she pushed her way towards the door.

“See you in a bit!”

 

Emma waited until Granny’s was several blocks away to slow her steps, the noise from the party nicely muted. She needed space, time to process. How the hell did the unwanted child end up here? All she ever wanted was parents that loved her, _wanted_ her. She didn’t expect… this. Fairytales and magic, evil queens, the son she had to give up, a fucking _soulmate_.

Dammit she needed answers. Were soulmates real or not? And what the hell was that with Cora? If she thought about it, she could still feel the light coursing through her, but she just thought that was how people felt. It was just there, a thing she’d felt her whole life. She never would’ve guessed that it was _magic_.

 

The smell of the ocean soothed the pulsing in her veins. Emma’s mindless path had taken her to the docks, the moonlight shimmering on the water, stars shining down on her. The boats creaked in the wind, soft splashes as they rocked. The boats knocked her thoughts instantly towards a certain pirate, did he ever get back to his ship? He had a ship, right? She wondered what it was like. Emma imagined it’d be one of the big ones, with sails, maybe a mermaid on the bow. She could picture Hook at the wheel ( _was that what that thing was called?_ ). The wind would be blowing his hair, the sea reflecting in his eyes… ok, maybe this whole getting time to think wasn’t a great idea. Then again, with no one around, she could, right? Maybe she’d even get a firm answer on where she stood with him. For him. Whatever.

Emma heard footsteps down the other end of the docks, and sighed. She really didn’t want to have to deal with anyone. A she readied herself for small talk and questions she didn’t feel like answering, she heard voices. Perfect, she could probably get away with a friendly nod, or… those shadows looked awfully inviting.

 

***

 

Storybrooke came into view on the horizon, and Killian was… surprised. Other than the large quantity of light after nightfall, it looked fairly ordinary. The name had given him expectations of something a bit grander, or at least more unique. He swung down to the deck as they approached, the _Jolly Roger_ bringing them in silently. He felt no small satisfaction that they were able to revive the magic bean he stole from the giant. He hadn’t been keen to travel without his ship ( _his home)_ anyway, and tried to convince himself that was the sole reason he let Emma have the compass. He glanced back at the wheel, his mind supplying a memory of standing with Baelfire in that very spot, pointing out the stars of Neverland…

Killian swallowed the lump in his throat. Emma was back with her Henry, one less lad dealing with being separated from a parent in the world, and he couldn’t change what was already done.

“- Hook.”

He looked at the woman tapping her foot impatiently behind him. “Apologies. Lost in savouring the thought of finally slaying my crocodile, dear Cora. What were you saying?”

“Hm.”

He didn’t really like the glint in her eyes.

“You should probably pay attention, since your revenge has gotten a bit complicated.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Killian managed to not growl at her as she took his proffered hand to make her way down the gangplank. By her smirk, he could tell she knew.

“It appears somehow magic has made its way to this realm.”

Killian’s frustration at the possibility that Rumpelstiltskin would have his damn powers back was dampened by the realization he could feel another’s thoughts coming closer .

_Bloody fuck, of all the places for Emma to be-_

“Wowee, lookit that ship. She’s a beaut, haven’t seen any like her in Storybrooke before.”

A gentleman stood gaping at the _Jolly Roger_ at the end of their pier, and Killian sighed. Poor fool, this was not going to go well for him.

 

***

 

Emma rounded the building ( _not hiding at all, she just happened to like the shadows thank you very much_ ) just in time to see Hook kicking a fish into the water, Cora standing beside him with her usual mix of disdain and grace. She froze.

_How the fuck did- oh, right._

The _Jolly Roger_ sat on the water. It was beautiful, familiar somehow. The wave of homecoming that went through her at the sight of it was really disconcerting. She’d never seen the damn ship before, why the fuck was she feeling this way? While her head spun, Cora waved her arms and the _Jolly Roger_ disappeared from sight. The action spurred Emma to sink further into the shadows. While her fist was itching to meet Cora’s face, Emma reasoned she probably should grab a weapon before confronting the magical bitch. It’s not like that weird light burst would work twice. Maybe she could even learn what the hell Cora had planned.

She watched the two converse? argue? for a moment before Cora poofed herself away, obscuring Killian in the dark smoke. Emma was dismayed at how comfortable it was to feel him in her head again. She’d known the guy for like a week, and not really on the best terms the whole time either. She shouldn’t almost enjoy his presence encroaching in her brain.

 

“You made it.” Emma bit her lip. She really needed to learn to stop her mouth from speaking without permission.

He stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth. “A chap could start to take it personal, the way you keep leaving him behind.”

Emma rolled her eyes, ignoring the heat that grew as he swaggered closer.

“Whatever, we both knew you had that bean and a whole Plan B and C and shit.”

“I did, at that. Would’ve been a terrible shame to leave my lady behind.” Killian gestured back at the invisible ship, leaning into her space.

When their eyes finally met, the hardness from his pirate persona had softened.

_{Your lad, safe and sound?}_

_[Uh, yeah. He’s fine.]_ Cora’s disappearance hit her. _[Wait! Cora! What is she planning on doing? Is he in danger?]_

Emma felt the rage and fear boil up as Killian placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

_{No, no. He’s safe, I promise. Cora has some scheme in mind for stripping everything away from Regina so she’ll have nowhere else to turn, but I don’t know the details. I do know she has no intention of harming your son, as that would estrange Regina from her for good.}_

Emma nodded, absent-mindedly covering his hand with her own, stroking the back of his hand. He was right, if Cora was trying to reconcile with her daughter, hurting Henry would be the very last thing she would do. His hand moved gently up her shoulder, fingers caressing the bare skin above her collar, brushing against her neck.

“Thank you, by the way.”

“For what?”

His voice was soft and she found she couldn’t keep her eyes off his lips.

“For the compass? I mean, it’s only fair since technically you stole it from me in the first place, but… you didn’t have to make sure it got back to me. So thank you.”

Killian’s grin lit up his eyes, as she finally moved her gaze back up. Emma watched the innuendos and quips fade from his thoughts as she stared at him. In their place, regret and sorrow filled their place, soothed slightly by a moment of doing the right thing.

_{It’s the least I could do, luv. No lad should be without a parent that truly wants him.}_

His damn tongue swept along between his lips again and she threw caution to the wind.

_[Fuck it. Just this once-]_

Emma slid her hand along his the same time she placed the other one on the opposite shoulder. Killian reacted immediately, fingers sliding to cup her jaw, tugging beneath her ear. She didn’t even know who made the move, but her lips were pressed softly against his, finally.

It was tender, and scorching. His mouth moved against hers, hand only caressing her cheek and tracing her jaw. Her arms tightened around his shoulders as she rose on her toes. Every nip, every stroke of tongue, every path his fingers took created sparks in their wake. She wanted to melt into this moment forever.

 

Emma was a siren in his arms. Killian was so entranced with her mouth, the feel of her fingers tightening on his shoulders, the way her lips danced with his, he could stay this way forever. They broke apart, and he found himself chasing her, foreheads pressed together as they both sought to ease the breathlessness.

“One time thing, a thank you. You know, for helping me get back to Henry.”

He opened his eyes in a haze. What was she saying? Emma’s eyes were still squeezed shut, and she released her grip on his jacket to back away.

“Swan?”

“Just, we’re even now, right? So, I have to go. Stop Cora. Whatever.”

Emma turned and bolted, leaving him swaying on the pier in her wake.

Killian let out a mirthless laugh as Snow White and Prince Charming’s daughter ran away. He was royally fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay, they kissed?


	15. What to do, what to do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Killian wonder what to do. Cora, on the other hand...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those that said they loved the kiss and/or liked it more than canon, you have no idea how full my heart is. That's probably the biggest possible compliment ever. ~<3

_ Shit, shit, shit. Fuck, fuck. _

That was not what Emma meant to do. But he was there, and all… soft and sincere and regretful and just…

_ Fuck everything. _

She slowed down as she neared Granny’s, remembering her excuse to leave. What was she going to do about Gold? Was Hook still going to go after him? That’s what she should’ve been focused on, instead of how fucking kissable he was. Holy shit could he kiss.

_ Focus, Emma, fucking focus. _

Cora, she needed to find out what Cora wanted. Well, more like how she was going to pull it off, and whether making nice with her daughter was the only thing on her agenda. Emma thought back to the way she used the villagers to attack them, all the hearts she’d torn out. There’s no way a woman that power hungry was only here out of love for her daughter. She really needed to look through Henry’s book. She was pretty sure there was something in there about Cora and Regina’s relationship. Didn’t she know Gold too? 

Which brought her back to Killian, should she warn Gold? It’s not like she was fond of the guy, but she couldn’t really let wanna be murderers run around Storybrooke. Although, wait, she’d need to arrest both Regina and Gold then. And Spencer, didn’t David say something about murder? Geez, this town. Maybe it would be better to just slip aboard Killian’s ship and sail away with Henry. She wondered what the captain’s quarters were like. She could just picture lying on top of a warm, hard frame, soft lips sliding down her neck to-

_ Shut _ **_up_ ** _ , brain. _

Emma stopped herself outside the diner. Why was she freaking out? It was just lust. This was so stupid. It had been a really long time since… well, sex. And he was really attractive, anyone could see that. Hence, kissing. 

_Right, kissing. Tender, soft, hands firmly in G-rated zones kissing. That just screams_ _lust, Emma_.

She ignored herself, that part of her was simply wrong. Now, to worry about Cora.

 

***

 

Killian checked in on Anton upon reboarding his ship. Still unconscious, but he seemed comfortable enough. Killian remembered that he meant to tell Emma of the extra passenger, ‘til she went and drove any thoughts straight from his head. He didn’t know Cora’s plan for the shrunken giant, but he was sure it wouldn’t be pleasant. He made his way to his cabin. He was going to refill his flask, down it, refill it again, then… then… oh who the hell knew. Swan had effectively tossed all his plans for revenge right out the window. Before, it would’ve been simple enough to just go skewer the bastard and be done with it, but if the crocodile’s magic was returned, that was no longer an option.

Rum though, rum was a great option. He could hear Cora’s reconnaissance upon her return. 

 

***

 

Regina threw the empty wine bottle across the room. The resulting smash and glass shattering felt momentarily cathartic. All she sacrificed, all she gained, for  _ nothing _ , undone by Emma Swan _. _

“I didn’t raise you to waste good vintage like that, my dear.”

Her mother’s voice behind her shot straight down her spine. 

“Then again, you did always have such a short temper. I thought with this curse you had finally learned the importance of patience, and playing the long game. I see the instant you meet an obstacle you still just give up.”

Regina turned slowly, hands clenched at her side. Cora smiled at her, and began to walk the room, examining their surroundings. 

“This curse certainly is a masterpiece though, my darling. Well done.” She caressed the desk chair, pulling it out to arrange herself in it. “Aren’t you going to say something, Regina?”

“And what do you want me to say, Mother?”

“Oh I don’t know,” Cora toyed with a pen on the desk before staring at Regina sternly. “An apology for trying to kill me would be nice. Welcoming me to your new home, thanking me for the compliments, any of those would do.”

“You would’ve done the same, in my place.”

Cora’s face lightened, and she stood up to move over to Regina. “I know, and I’m so proud.”

Regina’s eyes filled with tears again, face warring between bittersweet happiness and indignation.

“Mother-”

“I know why you had to do it, I know. I understand, dear girl.”

Regina didn’t resist as Cora clasped her arms. “It’s all gone wrong though. The curse is broken, Henry hates me now, I’ve lost everything.”

“You haven’t lost me. And we have an advantage they don’t know we do.”

“What’s that?” Regina wiped at her eyes as Cora released her, moving back to the desk to take the chair.

“That Swan girl, this ‘Saviour’, she’s taken everything from you. Your life, your revenge, your  _ son." _

Regina’s expression went dark as Cora leaned back, fingers drumming on the armrests. 

“Her soulmate is here in Storybrooke, and they think I don’t know.”

“Of course the perfect little princess has a soulmate.” Regina spat out. “Who is it? Probably some ridiculous prince? A sorcerer?”

Cora smirked, “Captain Hook.”

Regina burst out laughing. “Captain Hook. Captain Hook? The man that was  _ supposed _ to kill you? The one who would do anything for his revenge, is the Saviour’s soulmate?” 

Her mother raised an eyebrow at her wordlessly.

“You’re not serious?”

“I am. And he’s going to help us, whether he intends to or not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun DUN (sorry). Y'all have no idea how badly I wish I could just film this instead (especially the kiss from last chapter).


	16. Plans upon plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian plans, Emma plans, Rumple plans.

Killian reread the pages, again. He wasn’t sure why he was bothering, he’d memorized the book long ago, still, he couldn’t be too careful. He only had the one vial of dreamshade and needed to ensure that it did the trick. There was nothing to suggest it wouldn’t work on magical beasts as well as mundane ones. What he needed was more information on this curse. Cora had said it would alter the memories of those caught within, and there was the protection around the town… did that mean Rumplestiltskin would be more vulnerable beyond it? When he finally drove his hook into the monster’s heart, he had to be sure it would work. 

The moonlight on his bunk made his red duvet look golden. He imagined it would be similar to how Emma’s hair would look fanned out-

When the hell had he stopped looking at the book?

 

“Hook. Surprised to see you on the ship. I thought you’d run off on your revenge regardless of my warning.”

Killian clicked his tongue, unsure as whether to be grateful for the interruption or not. The bloody woman had just appeared in his quarters with no invitation after all, but the way his thoughts kept spiraling beyond his control was possibly the most frustrating thing he’d dealt with in decades. That included hiding under a pile of corpses. ...Maybe his priorities were off. 

“I’ve been researching your daughter’s curse, I can’t very well ask her about it, can I? Seeing as I shouldn’t be here. Unless you’d rather she get suspicious?” Killian raised an eyebrow at her, fighting the urge to throw her out of his cabin. 

“Well well, how clever of you.”

“I may be reckless with my person, but  _ nothing _ will stand in the way of my revenge, luv.”

Cora’s condescending smile widened, “good. I was hoping you’d say that.”

 

***

 

After having seen her name scrawled all over his book, Emma wasn’t thrilled about being in Gold’s presence. Finding out he was a magical… something helped assuage the way he made her skin crawl. He did seem genuinely distressed when they told him about Cora, which was disconcerting. Her parents talked about “Rumplestiltskin” like he was the most powerful magician or whatever ever, and he was scared of Regina’s mom? Just great. 

 

“How did you defeat her?”

“Hm?” Emma tore her gaze off the model ship on the counter. She had no idea when her attention wandered, and when the hell had her hand started fiddling with her hair right where Hook-

“Cora, how did you defeat her?” Gold narrowed his eyes at her.

Emma shrugged, “she tried to take my heart out and… I dunno, I pushed her somehow.”

“Physically?” 

“Oh, uh, well, no? I mean, yes but with, like… light and stuff?” She tried to not shrink under his glare. 

“Full sentences, if you please, Sheriff Swan.”

“I knocked her out, with magic, I think anyway.”

“You think? Magic isn’t something you ‘think’, it’s something you  _ feel _ , dearie. So was it magic or not?”

Emma wasn’t happy with the way he was looking at her, like she was a sparkly new toy or something. “It was magic.”

She also didn’t like the way her parents were looking at her. Snow’s relief from before seemed a bit more like caution now, and David looked almost alarmed. Great, her own family was scared of her now. 

 

***

 

Killian stuck to the shadows. The town was large, but the smooth roads made for easy traveling. There was so much light though, lights everywhere. Thankfully, they meant deeper shadows too, a sizeable advantage for one practiced in concealed reconnaissance. 

As he slinked his way through the streets, his thoughts kept straying back to Cora’s recent behaviour. He didn’t much like her barely veiled patronizing comments about his lack of preparation. She’d been watching him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, looking for… something? Thinking back, Killian realized it had been even before they departed for Storybrooke. Something changed after the fight at Lake Nostos. He was certain she hadn’t seen anything suspicious in his actions, she would’ve just roasted him too if she had. No, there was something else she had brewing, and it was imperative he found out what without tipping his hand. At least, not until he had no more use of it.

 

***

 

“Miss Swan, a word.”

Emma fought the growl back, and nodded David and Mary- Snow on. 

“You sure?” Her mother’s eyes darted back and forth from Emma and Gold as Emma nodded again. 

“Yeah, get back to Henry. I don’t want him worrying. I’ll be right behind you.”

David pressed a kiss against her temple before reaching for Snow’s arm to head to Granny’s. Emma took a deep breath before turning back towards the shop. The unfamiliar feeling of people caring about her was compounded by the sudden whisper of Killian’s thoughts at the edges of her consciousness. Just what she needed. She took a furtive glance down the street as she walked back over to Gold. Wherever the pirate was, he was hidden well. 

“You owe me a favour, dearie.”

Emma shook her head, “wait what? You’re calling that in now? With a murderous witch running around town? I have other priorities, Gold, then some stupid deal we made.”

“We did make a deal, and you will honour it.” Gold’s eyes gleamed in the streetlights. 

Emma crossed her arms and scowled back at him. “Sure, didn’t say I wouldn’t. Just said it wasn’t a damn priority.” 

“You’ll make it a priority. Cora is inconsequential. She no doubt seeks to reconcile with Regina, and, well Regina isn’t the forgiving sort. That’ll take time. Whereas my situation is more important.”

Emma started to laugh. The audacity of-

“You’ve found your family, Miss Swan. You have your son, you’ve reunited with your parents, all with my help in fact.”

“In spite of your ‘help’ you mean.”

He sent her a withering glance. “The orphan has a lot to lose now.”

“Are you  _ threatening _ -”

He waved a hand, “merely pointing out that there are no downsides to upholding your end of our deal. For anyone.”

Emma seethed. Not threatening, her ass. 

“It’s a simple thing,” he continued when she didn’t bother interjecting again. “I just need you to help me retrieve my son.”

“Your son?”

“Yes. He’s here, in the Land without Magic. In New York City, in point of fact.”

“If you know where he is, why don’t you go get him yourself?” Emma strained against the urge to turn and look for Killian again. She could feel his presence growing stronger, and just knew he was watching from somewhere nearby. 

“Unfortunately, he’ll only run if he sees me. You, on the other hand, used to find people for a living. He’ll talk to you.”

“And what if he doesn’t?”

“You’ll find a way, Miss Swan. Those are my terms. You accompany me and ensure I get to speak with him.”

“After Cora-”

“No. We leave tomorrow.” 

Emma’s mouth snapped shut. She was getting really sick of his interrupting demand schtick.

“You know,” Gold’s fingers started playing with the top of his cane, catching the light. “You said you saw Cora sail into the harbour all alone? Mighty odd, for her to be sailing. She was never one for manual labour, nor for doing her own dirty work.”

“Yeah, well from what I can tell, magic isn’t manual labour. Can’t say anything about the rest, she seemed plenty willing to get dirty in the Enchanted Forest.”

Emma’s blood ran cold but Gold simply hummed at her, eyes trained on his hands. He suspected, Emma could tell. She had felt Killian’s hatred and rage towards him, but with the rage that seemed to be emanating off Gold now… it was definitely mutual. And if he suspected Hook was involved, then his commenting on it could only mean that she knew whatever she was hiding from him actually mattered to her.  _ Fuck. _

“Whatever. If we go anywhere, Henry is coming with.” He raised an eyebrow at her, and she waved a finger at him. “That’s  _ my _ condition, there will be no negotiating.”

Gold smirked, and bowed slightly. “Fair enough, dearie. I’m sure he will delight in reuniting a father and son.”

 

***

 

Killian could only see red. His immortal enemy and his soulmate, talking, amiably. Emma nodded at the monster and walked off, the crocodile going back inside his storefront. How could she interact with the man after knowing what he’d done? Hell, it was the crocodile’s curse that ripped her from her family? How could she forgive him so easily?

 

Emma was walking quickly in his direction, but turned down an alley just before she was within speaking range. He gritted his teeth and stalked after her, barely caring enough to double check that Rumplestiltskin had truly left. He’d only just stepped back into the shadows when firm hands gripped his collar and spun his back into the wall.

 

“What the  _ hell _ are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here, what are you doing here? Why are you working with that, that monster?”

He could scarcely make out the jade in Emma’s eyes, even with her hands still pinning him to the bricks. 

_ [We need help against Cora and it’s not like there’s anyone else with magic.] _

_ {I’d trust a novice like you over the crocodile any day, luv.} _

_ [A novice like- you  _ **_know_ ** _ I have magic?] _

Killian shifted as Emma’s hands loosened on his jacket.  _ {The bright flash of it when Cora tried to steal your heart was rather obvious.} _

Emma was flustered. Her eyes dropped as the blush rose, and Killian couldn’t help but be confused. How had she not realized that she had magic? The woman’s denial must run even deeper than he’d seen. Her next words stoked the fire in his rage however, driving the growing concern for her aside.

“Gold needs my help. We’re leaving town tomorrow. I’m bringing Henry so he’ll be safe.”

“You’re leaving town. To help the crocodile. With Cora here. Are you possibly insane?”

“Cora will need time to get through to Regina right? And if she tries to turn everyone more against her like you said, it’s going to be a lot harder now that we know she’s here. So the town should be fine for a couple of days.”

“Emma-”

“I have to go, my parents are already worried. And I don’t want Henry to start worrying.”

 

Killian didn’t try to stop her as she pulled away. He wasn’t sure when she’d gotten so close as to be able to brush his chest as she left, and he clenched his fist against reaching out to pull her back against him. The crocodile had threatened her, he felt it. Not her though, her family. And maybe… someone else. 

His heart beat uncomfortably as he watched her walk away. He wasn’t sure what Rumplestiltskin’s plan was, but he was damned if he was going to let Emma and her lad travel with that monster without backup. 


End file.
